Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to Reduce Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Heart Failure ( POCUSHF ) (POCUSHF)

Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to Guide Fluid Management and Reduce Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Decompensated Heart Failure

This study will evaluate whether using bedside ultrasound (also called Point-of-Care Ultrasound or POCUS) can help improve the care of hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure. Patients will be randomly assigned to two groups: one group will receive ultrasound-guided assessments, and the other group will receive standard clinical evaluations. Researchers will compare the hospital length of stay between the two groups. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, safe, and painless imaging tool. The goal of the study is to find out if ultrasound guidance can lead to shorter hospitalizations and better care for patients with heart failure.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Heart Failure; Decompensated Heart Failure; Hospital Length of Stay
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Detailed Description

This clinical trial aims to determine whether the use of bedside ultrasound (also called Point-of-Care Ultrasound, or POCUS) can improve the management of patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure. Traditional methods for assessing heart failure patients rely heavily on physical examination and imaging tests such as chest X-rays, which may not always accurately reflect a patient's volume status. POCUS provides real-time information at the bedside, allowing clinicians to assess lung congestion and venous volume status quickly and non-invasively.

Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will undergo POCUS assessments of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) twice during their hospitalization: once within 24 hours of admission and once before discharge. The control group will receive standard clinical care without ultrasound guidance. All participants' clinical information, including length of hospital stay, treatments administered, and 30-day readmission status, will be collected and analyzed.

The primary objective is to determine whether POCUS-guided management leads to a reduction in hospital length of stay. Secondary objectives include evaluating whether ultrasound guidance affects 30-day readmission rates and diuretic therapy adjustments. The study is expected to enroll approximately 66 patients.

This research may help establish whether POCUS can be incorporated into standard care practices for hospitalized heart failure patients, potentially leading to better outcomes and more efficient use of hospital resources.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 66
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: GUILLERMO IZQUIERDO PRETEL, MD; Phone Number: 13058128099; Email: gizquier@fiu.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: FIU TEAM F; Phone Number: 3055101801; Email: sacramento1624@gmail.com

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Miami, Florida, United States, 33136
      • Recruiting
      • Jackson Memorial Hospital
      • Contact: GUILLERMO IZQUIERDO-PRETEL, MD; Phone Number: 305-812-8099; Email: gizquier@fiu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Adults aged 18 years and older.

Hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of decompensated heart failure (left, right, or biventricular).

Evidence of volume overload or congestion based on Framingham criteria, clinical examination, elevated proBNP (>1000 pg/mL), or chest X-ray showing pulmonary edema.

Ability to undergo bedside ultrasound evaluation (POCUS) as clinically feasible.

Able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

Age under 18 years.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Terminal illness with life expectancy < 30 days.

Inability to obtain ultrasound images due to body habitus or other technical reasons.

Enrollment in another interventional clinical trial that could interfere with the outcomes of this study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: POCUS-Guided Evaluation Group; Participants in this group will receive bedside Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) evaluations of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) twice during hospitalization, once within 24 hours of admission and once prior to discharge. Ultrasound findings will be used to guide fluid management decisions.	Device: Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS); Participants assigned to this group will receive Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) evaluations of the lungs and inferior vena cava (IVC) during their hospital stay. The ultrasound will be performed twice: once within 24 hours of hospital admission and once prior to hospital discharge. The POCUS findings will be used to guide clinical management decisions regarding fluid status and decongestion therapy in patients with decompensated heart failure. The procedure is non-invasive, radiation-free, and performed at the bedside.
No Intervention: Standard Clinical Evaluation Group; Participants in this group will receive standard clinical care without bedside ultrasound guidance. Clinical evaluation and management will be based on physical examination, chest X-rays, laboratory results, and physician judgment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Hospital Length of Stay (LOS)	Hospital Length of Stay (LOS) will be measured as the number of days from hospital admission to discharge decision. LOS will be compared between the POCUS-guided group and the standard care group.	From the date of hospital admission to the date of discharge order, assessed up to 30 days.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
30-Day Hospital Readmission Rate	The proportion of patients readmitted to any hospital for any cause within 30 days after discharge will be recorded and compared between the POCUS-guided group and the standard care group.	Within 30 days after hospital discharge

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Florida International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: GUILLERMO IZQUIERDO PRETEL, MD, Florida International University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 24, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 30, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 1, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): May 11, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 13, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Heart Failure; Point-of-Care Ultrasound; Lung Ultrasound; POCUS; Decompensated Heart Failure; Hospital Length of Stay; Ultrasound-Guided Therapy; Inferior Vena Cava Ultrasound; Volume Status Assessment; Readmission Prevention
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Diseases; Heart Failure
• Other Study ID Numbers: 25-0179

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

IPD Plan Description

I am running a single-center investigator-initiated study. I am not creating a formal public repository for the individual patient data.

At this stage, I am focused on analyzing your results internally (not distributing patient-level data to outside researchers).

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No